The Mission Becomes Her
by Zarius
Summary: Daphne ponders how long she can keep her current life from unravelling, and who she keeps her faith in (tag for "Curse of the 13th Ghost", and of course ShaggyxDaphne)


**SCOOBY DOO:**

 **THE MISSION BECOMES HER**

 **WRITTEN BY ZARIUS**

 **Author's Note:** This story occurred to me after watching a few short preview clips of the latest _Scooby Doo_ movie, " _Curse of the 13th Ghost_ "

* * *

As Vincent Van Ghoul's private jet pierced the hazy and murky clouds of the evening skis, Daphne Blake wondered just how long she could keep it all covered up.

She felt her excuses had been too simple. Fred was no idiot, he had already been asking her several questions about what she had been keeping from him and Velma, such as the twelve demonic spirits she had captured, the elusive thirteenth spirit, why they had not pursued it, the assistance of Flim Flam, and the tricks and techniques she and the others had acquired along the way.

The cracks in the portrait she had painted were becoming visibly noticeable, and she was struggling to find some means of keeping her narrative cohesive and tight. So much was riding on what Fred and Velma _didn't_ know.

Their excuse for missing out on her adventures with Shaggy and Scooby was credited to a summer spent at camp, but that was merely a cover story. The truth Daphne had sworn to keep limited to just herself and her dearest friend and dog was much more unnatural.

Their search for the 13th ghost had actually taken _years_ off of their lives, and it hadn't been Scooby's nerves that had gotten the better of him, for the traumatic distress of several close calls and experiencing even altered states of reality had inflicted weariness on Shaggy and Daphne also. Scooby had conquered his demons on many an adventure, he was more superhuman when push came to shove than they could manage as the years ticked by.

Daphne had contemplated leaving Scooby back home, to carry on the search with Flim Flam and Shaggy at her side specifically, but she could understand all too well the hurt it would inflict on Shaggy. Scooby was very much a part of him, fulfilling a role and need in his life that would take a while to replicate.

There comes a time to stop searching, to not let the mission become you. They convinced themselves that the world could be spared a tumultuous phase yet to come.

They made a very human decision, not necessarily the right one, but one they felt would buy humanity enough time, and hold back the 13th ghost from fulfilling his plans.

Using the powers of one of the captive ghosts, Time Slime, the gang had turned the clock back several years, they restored youth to themselves and to the generation that had grown with them, and gave Fred and Velma several new memories so as to explain their lack of interest or involvement in Daphne, Scooby and Shaggy's absence.

Only Flim Flam remained unaffected, this being a personal choice, not wanting to neglect the experiences nor be forced to grow up again. Besides, there was an appetising feeling of veterinary superiority to being essentially the only remaining component of the original reality.

Daphne had sworn Shaggy and Scooby to secrecy, they were only too happy to oblige, content the burden had been lifted. Van Ghoul was not as content with their selfish choice, but admitted he had kept them occupied with his quest for too long and vowed to keep an eye out for the 13th ghost, vowing only to alert the gang of his findings as soon as they were verified.

He had been trying to get back in hold of them for months, and it had only been months since the fateful powers of Time Slime had significantly reversed the ageing years.

Daphne wondered when Fred and Velma's true memories would resurface, and if Fred persisted with his questions, she feared any slip up from her would trigger their awakening.

Would he even have anything left to say or ask of her again even after that? Would he ever?

She needed to keep him docile, at her every whim, she needed to be in charge of this mission until it was over and they could start afresh.

She needed a distraction.

Fred, seated next to her, began complimenting Vincent Van Ghoul on his jet.

Fred turned to Daphne, who remained lost in so much thought.

"See Daphne? I don't mind being chauffeured, so long as there's a highly trained professional at the wheel"

Daphne initially gave Fred a scowl, and then her eyes sparkled as inspiration overtook her.

"Uh huh, say, have you met the pilot yet? You should introduce yourself" she slyly suggested, Fred was far too trusting to pick up on the cynical subtleties.

"Don't mind if I do" said Fred, getting up out of his seat and heading towards the cockpit.

Daphne smiled, she knew what surprise awaited Fred on the other side of the door leading into the cockpit. He would stumble on no one else but Norville Rogers at the controls. It would instil the fear and sheer malice of God into him and give him unease for the remaining duration of the flight.

And nothing pleased her more.

It was perhaps pitiful to think of Fred in distress, given what she felt for him, but a little humbling was in order, and at best it would keep him on his toes until the trip ended. He would be more concerned with fears pertaining to the endurance of his own mortality under Shaggy's flight coordination.

Daphne had every confidence in Shaggy to take them to where they needed to be, her faith in him was absolute, and that was something else Fred could never hope to know about.

She had been everywhere with Shaggy during their quest, and in that time she had been many things to him, an ally, a friend, a confidant.

And a lover.

She still was.

It was one of the only lasting situations from the reality left long behind.

She intended to tell Fred some day, to let him down gently, once she herself was comfortable with leaving him behind. She rationalised that her feelings for Fred as they stood presently were just the result of nostalgic puppy dog sentiment, the thrill of having him back in her life as he was.

All things mature, and she was in no rush to deny her second stint of lovelorn adolescence, but when the mission becomes you, you are all business, and in that instance, in that wild world, it would be Shaggy that would do what it took despite his own anxieties to ground them.

Shaggy was a man of many trades when he was motivated. He could be a skilled athlete, especially in track and field, a superb ventriloquist, a good driver, and on a rare occasion his temper could be quite short and downright savage. She remembered a story he'd told her once of getting angry with a group of real life ghosts, they were causing a commotion so he broke their record player.

She was glad to be one with the mission once more, as it allowed her to see traits of the man she loved come out again, traits she knew she could rely on, and traits that she hoped would lead her back into his arms when they were both ready to advance to the next level of life.

She couldn't help but be distracted again though

There was still the small matter of what happened to Scooby's nephew, Scrappy.

A tale, perhaps, for another time.


End file.
